Jelisava

Recycling newspaper into something beautiful and useful / April 20, 2007 marked the 20th anniversary of the signing of the New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act; with the signing of this act, New Jersey set the standard as the first state in the nation to mandate statewide recycling

It has become second nature for people in New Jersey to recycle bottles, cans, plastic, and paper. Every two weeks we set our pile of recyclables out on the curb. When we travel we often run into problems because we can't bring ourselves to throw bottles, cans, etc. into regular trash cans, instead we walk around aimlessly searching for recycle bins. I'm always trying to think of a way I can creatively re-use something and hate to throw things away -- it feels so wasteful. Once, as Paulo was installing a new toilet seat because the old one had cracked, he somewhat facetiously said, "I suppose you'll be wanting to use this in the garden." (Now, I do recycle all kinds of things for the garden, but even I draw the line somewhere.) The item in the picture is made of pieces of newspaper folded into thin 1/4" strips that are then rolled in circles; 14 small circles are attached with string to a large center circle. It is bright and colorful and looks like the sun or a flower and can be used as a hot pad or displayed as a work of art. For creative recycling inspiration, visit Great Green Goods, a web site that highlights products made from recycled materials.